Insect-destroying machine



July 8 1924. 1,500,857

R L. WOODRUFF INSECT DESTROYING MACHINE Filed se t, 4, 1922 s Sheets-Sheet, 1

A TTORNE Y.

- July 8', 1924.

R. .W0.0QRUFF INSECT DE'STROYING MACHINE I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14. 19x2 [NV NTOR. 2069. 7 6:1.

Jul 8 1 1924. 1,500,857

R; L. WOODRUFF INSECT DESTROYING MACHINE Filed Sent. 14 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 II lii ll l H1; I: 4 mum/1 r 40' ,7 I;' 14 l L /s -/5 I l IT 7 l I h l lh 1" Z I m II l u. I I, W1. hi I I. i P i 7 25 l f l I; 2J6 a' w m 1 I 1m, 27 i' w m I1 5 l h Il 1 J11.

I 37 INVENTOR.

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Patented July 8, 1924.

D STATES PATENT o FFics.

ROBERT LEEWOODRUFF, OF WINDER, GEORGIA.

7 msEor-nEsrn-oYING MACHINE.

' Application filed SeptembenM, 1922. Serial No, 588,129.

To all whom it may co'rwem:

Be it known that I, RoBEn'r L. Woon'nurnf a resident of Winder, in the county 'of' Barrow and State of Georgia, a citizenof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insect- Destroying Machines, ofwhich thefollowin is a specification.

y invention relates to improvements in insect-destroying machines, which, while capableof. use for any purp se and under all-conditions where it would perform its. functions in a practical and eflicient manner,.is particularly constructed and designed for applying or spraying calcium arsenate upon cotton plants for the purpose of destroying or killing the boll weevil.

The main object of my invention is the production of an implement or machine which will apply the powder directly to the plant and oover the entire surface there-' of, and thus overcome the defect in present machines of .wasting the powder and insuring a machine which will attain great efiiin. all respects be thoroughly efiicient and practical.

. With these objects in view, my invention insect-destroying e consists of aninsect destroying implement or machine embodying novel features ofconstructionand oombmation of parts for service, substantially as. described and claimed, drawings, wherein:,-

and as showniin the accompanying Figure 1 represents atop plan view'of an ,r'nachineiconstrueted in "accordance with and embodying my invention.

Fig.2 represents a side elevation-of the complete machine.

3 represents a fi'ont' end elevation,

Fig-.4; represents a sectional view on the '1ine4- -4ofFig-.1..

weight and draft while strong and du-.

- Referring by numeralto the drawings, in which the same numerals of reference'are used to'designate similar parts-in all the views:

The numeral 1 designates the body. .or main open -rectangular construction and has mounted therein in the depending bearing brackets 2, the. axle 3, which is provided with cranked ends upon which the ground wheels 5 are mounted. The frame 1 carries the drivers seat 11, which is mounted on the support: 12, secured upon the base 13, itself secured to the mainframe.

From this construction, it will be observed that the ,machine comprises a main frame which is mounted on a crank axle and to each side is hinged at 14, the side frames or sections" 15, to which are connected the aprons or flexible poison confining covers 16, and to said frames are connected the cords or cables 17-, which are wound upon the pair of spools 18, which are mounted on shaft 19, which is journaled in upright bearings 20,. secured to.the main frame, and upon said shaft is a hand-wheel frame of my .machine, which is of 21, which is adapted to rotate the shaft 19,] causing the spools to wind the cords or cables for raising and lowering the side frames or sections 15,whichf shaft is re-' tained'inpr'oper position by means of the ratchet 22 and engaging pawl 23.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 2,-a handle lever 9- is' pivoted on the frame and adjacent to seat 11 and has the downwardly extending arm'8 to which is attached cords 7 that are secured at their ends to the lower edges of th covers 16. When it is desired to lift the covers only, the lever 9'is depressed 'and a pawl L10 'tl1erein holds it an the'covers in any desired position;

The lower ends of the covers are also supported and strengthened at their ends.

by the cords 6 that hang from the side .frames 15.

' The rear covers 24 also have cords .7 that l are connected with the lever so that the 'latter may lift all of the covers simultaneously. From this construction it will be observed that to themain frame are .hin ed side frames which support closed'aprone'sections, which serve to enclose the plants-andinsure the: powder being deposited thereon without any waste, and further that'these or lowered by means of the manually operated shaft,

side apron sections may be raised and retained in proper position, and to the rear of the main frame and. to the side sections are hinged the three end apron sections 24, this construction permitting the apron sections by reason of the slitportions 25, to admit the plant and permit passage of the plants through the slits 26 in the rear section, thus in the passage of themachine over the ground, the plants while being sprayed are entirel enclosed by the side and rear aprons, an their entire sur- ,faces are coated with the powder and that substantially and practically no particle of said powder is permitted to go to waste.

Mounted on the hub of the right hand wheel 5 is a sprocket wheel 27 having the chain 28 that drives the small sprocket wheel 29 on the shaft 30 journaled in the boxes 31 and having at its other end the gear'wheel 32 that meshes with and drives .a pinion 33 on a shaft 35 that carries the fan 36 within the casing 37.

From this construction it will be apparent that rotation of the large or driving gear wheel 27, through the medium of chain 28 and sprocket wheel 29, operates the fan or blower, whose casing is connected-by a conduit 38, with the lower portion 39 of the poison powder container or tank 39', from which leads the distributing pipes 40, which lead to the-forward part of the machine and terminate in nozzles or spraying heads 41, which thus spray the powder to the aprons of the side sections and main frame to en'- tirely distribute the powder over the plants. The left hand wheel 5 carries at its hub a gear wheel 42 that meshes with and v drives a pinion 42 on a shaft 21 journalled in the frame of the device. The said shaft carries at its inner end a disc 43 with a crank pin to which is secured the outer end of a piston rod of the pump 43 that is carried by the water-container or tank 44,

said pump thus pumping air through the connecting pipe 45, to the tank 44, to force the water therefrom through the flexible pipes 45' to distribute the water through the nozzles or discharge ends 46, of said flexible pipes upon the plants as they are approached'by the machine, said tank being provided with a suitable pressure gauge 47. One of the most important features of my invention resides in the delivering of the Water infront of the machine upon the plants before they pass under the cover or. apron and spraying the poison in dry form upon the plants as soon as they pass under the apron 1n m'oist condition, thus causing the poison to completely cover and adhere to the plants. I j w The construction and operation, of my machine will be fully understood from the drawings taken in connection with the foreing description, and it will be apparent closes the plants and that the water first sprinkles the plants and immediately following the poison powder, is sprayed over the entire surface of the dampened plants and is there retained and thus the entire plant is subjected tothe poison and that substantially and practically not a particle of the poison is permitted to escape and experience has proven that this machine will use only about one-fifth of the amount of powder used in machines in general use, thus overcoming a most serious effect and objections to machines in use and providing a highly efiicient, useful and practical machine of this character.

It will be noted that my machine delivers thewater upon the plants beyond or in advance of the frame of the machine, thus causing the plants to pass under the aprons in a Wet state to receive and retain the poison powder which is dischargd at the front of the machine within the aprons and in rear' of the water delivery means, and this is one of the most important operations of my machine as the plants pass under the aprons in a wet condition and are entirely covered with the powder which sticks to the plants by reason of their wet condition.

I claim:

1. An insect-destroying machine, consisting of a main frame, adjustable side and end frames, aprons carried by said side and end frames and connected to the frame to form an entire closure around said frame, and

means for distributingwaten on the cotton,

before passing under said aprons and means arranged in rear of said water distributin means for delivering poison under sai aprons on the cotton.

2. "An insect destroying machine, consisting of a main frame, a crank axle connected to said frame, supporting wheels on said axle, adjustable side and end frameconnected with the main frame, enclosing aprons.

axle, adjustable side and end frames connected with the main frame, enclosing aprons carried by said frames, means for raising and loweringsaid aprons and retaining them in adjusted positions, means for distributing water to the forward part A and in advance of themain and side frames, and means for distributing poison within the aprons and in rear of the water distrlibut-.

ing means.

4. An insect destroyin machine, consisting of a main frame, si e and end closing aprons carried by said frame, means. for raist at the machine practically covers and ening and lowering said aprons and retaining ated them'in proper position, an axle mounted in said frame, wheels on said axle, a gear Wheel carried by said axle, and means operby said gear wheel for distributing water upon the plants in advance of the machine and poison under the' closure formed by sition.

5. An insect-destroying machine, consisting of a frame, aprons mounted on the sides and ends of said frame and capable. of being raised out of the way and lowered to form a closure about said frame, and means carried by the frame to distribute poison within said closure and means also carried by the frame for delivering water upon the plants in advance of 'said poison distributing a closure about said frame,and means car aprons being formed with slits to allow passage over the plants as the machine travels. 7. An insect destroying machine comprising a supporting frame having driving wheels, hinged frames carried at the sides said aprons when in lowered p0 and signature.

and rear of the supporting frame, aprons hung from the hinged frames and forming inclosures, means for elevating and lowering the hinged frames and aprons, water spraying means-operated by one of the drivmg wheels and delivering the water upon the plants in advance of themachine, and powder delivering and spraying means operated by the other wheel and spraying the poison in the form of powder in rear of the water delivering means upon the moistened plants. v

8. An insect destroying machine comprising a main frame and supporting wheels, side and end hinged frames carrying aprons covers to form closures with slitted front. and rear ends, means for simultaneously raising and lowering the hinged frames and aprons, means for spraying powder within the closures, driving means operated by one ofthe wheels for the s raying means, a water tank sprays in advance of the closures, a pump driven by the other wheel and adapted to operate the liquid sprays, a container for the powder, and an agitator in'the container and actuated in connection with the powder spraying means.

In testimony whereof I-hereunto aflix my ROBERT LEE WOODRUFF.

to supply liquid. 

